“Any one of our top five runners are in striking distance of other teams’ No. 1,” Popp said.

Wayzata is poised to be even faster at state because runners didn’t taper for the section meet. Popp said his veteran group hopes to maintain their peak through the Nike regional and national meets taking place in the coming weeks.

On the individual side, Hussein hopes to improve on his runner-up finish last season. He will be pushed by Roseville’s Acer Iverson, whose time of 15:31.9 was the fastest of any section race, and Rosemount’s Luke Labatte (15:49.4).

Tierney Wolfgram of Math and Science Academy in Woodbury and Grace Ping of Winona Cotter will finish their season how it started, facing each other on the St. Olaf College course.

Ping, the Class 1A state champion in 2015, defeated defending state champion Wolfgram by 19 seconds in the St. Olaf High School Showcase on Aug. 31. But the freshmen, two of the fastest in the nation, know the rematch means more.

“Grace is a role model of mine and she has so much experience so I expect a close race,” said Wolfgram, who ran a 17:42.8 in her section final race at Battle Creek Regional Park in St. Paul.

Ping, who lived with her family in Utah last year, said she plans to “run my race and give it my best.” She finished in 18:11.9 at her section meet at Northern Hills Golf Course in Rochester.

They helped each other get to this point, training together during the summer in Winona at Ping’s four-day Project Gold camp. They endured tough threshold workouts and emerged as better runners and closer competitors.

“I don’t try to think about a race until the night before and then come up with a plan,” she said. “I’ll keep winning in mind, but I just hope to do well and have fun.”

Fenske ran a 17:24.9 at sections. Emily Covert of Minneapolis Washburn (17:40) also could contend for the title.

On the team side, Wayzata is favored to break Edina’s two-year hold on the crown. Emma Atkinson and cross-country newcomer Caroline Sassan give the Trojans speed that other teams haven’t been able to match.